In a landmark decision on Monday, July 6, the Senate of Gabon voted to decriminalise same-sex relations with 59 votes in favour, 17 against and four abstentions.
The move to decriminalise was supported by the lower House of Parliament on Tuesday, June 23.Unlike numerous countries across the African continent, Gabon did not have a colonial-era ban on same-sex relations.
Instead, a ban had been introduced in 2019 criminalising same-sex relations between both men and women. This ban has now been reversed.